The Hex Central Command buzzed with activity. Operators manned their stations, keeping a watchful eye on the flow of information from every corner of the globe. The chaos inside the Middle Eastern Headquarters was yet to reach the central hub—until a red light started blinking on one of the terminals.
Williams, the commander-in-chief of Hex, stood at the center of the operations room. His sharp gaze was fixed on the holographic screen in front of him, reviewing reports when a junior officer approached him, looking pale.
"Commander, there's been an attack—on our Middle Eastern Headquarters."
Williams didn’t flinch. “Who?”
The officer hesitated, but then he took a breath. “It’s him—Arata.”
For a split second, something dark passed across Williams’ face, but he quickly masked it with an emotionless expression. His fingers tapped his desk, pulling up surveillance feeds from the HQ. The images showed broken doors, unconscious guards, and a familiar figure cutting through the building like a force of nature.
“Of course…” Williams murmured. He had known this day would come, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. He turned to the operator beside him. “Send word to Usman. Prepare the defense system. No one escapes.”
He watched the feed for a moment longer before turning away. Whatever happened next, Arata would need to be dealt with quickly. This was only the beginning.
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Back at the Middle Eastern Headquarters, the air was thick with tension as Arata stood in front of Mohammad Usman. The large, dimly lit room had a sense of importance—polished mahogany furniture, thick carpets, and tapestries draped over the walls.
Usman leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him, his eyes cold and calculating. His three wives stood behind him, each one silent but poised. They were not merely decoration—there was a dangerous air about them, a quiet confidence that spoke of their abilities.
Arata’s expression remained blank as he stepped closer, his eyes locking with Usman’s. “Mohammad Usman,” Arata said, his voice calm but carrying an edge, “I’ve come to end this.”
Usman didn’t flinch, his gaze narrowing slightly but no sign of panic crossed his face. Instead, he let out a slow breath and leaned forward. “You think you can just walk into my headquarters and demand something from me?”
Arata raised an eyebrow. “It seems like I already have.” His eyes flicked toward the fallen guards outside the room.
Usman smirked, shaking his head slowly. “Bold of you.” He gestured to the three women standing behind him. “But before you even think of touching me, you’ll have to get through them.”
Arata’s gaze shifted toward the women. There was a moment of silence before Arata smirked. “Hiding behind women? That’s a bit pathetic, even for you.”
Usman’s eyes flashed with anger, but his tone remained controlled. “You misunderstand. These women are not my shields—they are my wives, and it is their duty to protect me. You will have to defeat each of them before you can lay a hand on me.”
Arata let out a humorless laugh. “I see. So, that’s how you’ve survived for this long. By sending your wives into battle while you watch from the sidelines.”
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Usman stood up from his chair, his large form imposing but unmoved by Arata’s taunts. “They are not just women—they are Ringmasters, powerful enough to crush you. And as their husband, it is my right to command them.”
Arata’s eyes flickered with mild amusement. “Well, this will be fun then. Let’s get started.”
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The first wife stepped forward, her name was Soraya. She was a striking woman, tall and regal with dark hair braided tightly behind her head. Her eyes were sharp, filled with purpose, and as she stepped into the center of the room, her aura shifted.
A ripple of power spread through the air, and Arata immediately sensed her elemental nature—water, but there was something more. He narrowed his eyes, realizing what she was. She wasn’t just controlling water, she embodied the ocean’s power.
“I am Soraya, the Ringmaster of the Whale,” she announced, her voice steady, almost serene. Her figure shimmered slightly before she transformed, her form shifting into that of the Ringmaster Whale—a towering figure with deep blue, almost translucent skin, the power of the ocean swirling around her.
Arata rolled his shoulders, stepping into the center of the room, ready for the battle to begin. “Whale, huh? I’ve dealt with worse.”
Soraya didn’t wait. She attacked immediately, summoning waves of water from nowhere, the entire room suddenly feeling like the depths of the ocean. The air grew thick with moisture, and water tendrils lashed toward Arata, crashing like waves.
Arata dodged the first strike, but Soraya was quick, her control over the water unmatched. The tendrils wrapped around his legs, pulling him off balance, and he felt the pressure of the water constricting him.
He gritted his teeth, focusing his energy on the earth beneath his feet. The ground rumbled in response to his will, and in an instant, stone pillars erupted from the floor, shattering the water tendrils and freeing him.
But Soraya wasn’t done. She summoned a massive wave, its size almost dwarfing the room, crashing toward Arata with terrifying speed. Arata braced himself, slamming his hand into the ground. The stone beneath his feet rose up like a shield, meeting the water with a resounding crack.
The water surged, breaking over the stone, but Arata pushed through, forcing the earth to respond to his commands. The room shook violently as he created a path through the wave, advancing toward Soraya.
She retaliated, summoning a torrent of water to strike him from all sides. The force was enough to knock him off his feet, slamming him into the ground hard enough to leave a crater. Arata grunted in pain, his muscles aching from the impact, but he wasn’t done.
He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up, the ground beneath him shifting once again. The earth surged upward, forming jagged spikes that raced toward Soraya.
She dodged with grace, her body moving like liquid, but Arata had anticipated her. He slammed his hand down once more, and the ground beneath her feet cracked, swallowing her in a pit of earth. Soraya struggled, the water around her thrashing violently as she tried to escape, but Arata’s control over the earth was absolute.
In a final effort, Soraya summoned a massive geyser, the water shooting upward in a last-ditch attempt to strike Arata. But it was too late. Arata’s earth wall rose higher, deflecting the geyser’s force, and in one swift motion, he brought his hand down, sealing Soraya within the earth completely.
The water fell away, the room settling into silence as Soraya’s body lay still, trapped beneath the earth. Her form shimmered as she returned to her human state, unconscious but alive.
Arata stepped forward, pulling a shimmering ring from her finger. The Ring of Whale. He slipped it into his pocket, his eyes turning toward Usman, who watched the scene with narrowed eyes.
Before Arata could speak, the second wife stepped forward. She was smaller than Soraya, her features more delicate, but the intensity in her eyes spoke of her power. Her name was Layla, and she radiated a fierce energy, crackling like lightning.
“I am next,” Layla said, her voice soft but filled with resolve. “You won’t win as easily this time.”
Arata smirked, rolling his neck. “Let’s see if you’re right.”
And with that, the next battle began.